One year since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic started, various countries are now accelerating their vaccination efforts to put a stop on the spread of this disease.
Here’s what you need to know about the available COVID-19 vaccines.
Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine
This coronavirus vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech was first to be granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration in the country.
At least 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected to be delivered to the Philippines by April through the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX facility, according to National Task Force against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon.
Based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH), this vaccine requires two doses and should be given 21 days apart. It also has a storage requirement of -80 to -60 °C.
The DOH said it has 95 percent efficacy “against symptomatic COVID-19” based on the data of its Phase 3 clinical trials.
The common adverse events include: short term, mild-to-moderate pain at the injection site; fatigue, and headache.
AstraZeneca vaccine
This vaccine developed by British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca was the second to be granted an EUA by the FDA in the Philippines.
Currently, doses of AstraZeneca vaccine were already being used in the government’s vaccination program after the COVAX facility had delivered a total of 525,600 doses earlier this month.
This vaccine can be stored in a normal temperature of 2° to 8°C. It has an efficacy rate of 70.4 percent “against symptomatic COVID-19” and 100 percent “against severe COVID-19,” the DOH said. It requires two doses and is being given four to 12 weeks apart.
Common side effects once an individual received this vaccine include injection site pain and tenderness, fatigue, headache, feverishness, and myalgia (muscle pain), the DOH said.
Sinovac vaccine
The Philippines received its initial batch of COVID-19 vaccines --developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech. The Chinese government donated 600,000 Sinovac vaccines and arrived in the country on Feb. 28, paving the way for the start of the Philippines’ vaccination program against the viral illness.
According to President Duterte on March 4, China has pledged to donate more Sinovac vaccines to the Philippines.
Just like AstraZeneca, this Chinese-made vaccine only requires normal refrigeration of 2° to 8°C. The efficacy of this vaccine ranged between 65 to 91 percent “based on the Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey trials,” the DOH said. It also requires two doses and is given 28 days apart,
Common adverse events observed in Phase 3 clinical trials include local lymphadenopathy at injection site, possible allergic reaction, and convulsion, the DOH said.
Gamaleya’s Sputnik V
The FDA said it is currently evaluating the EUA application of Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute for its coronavirus vaccine called “Sputnik V.”
Russian Direct Investment Fund Chief Executive Officer Kirill Dmitriev said that 50 countries have already approved the use of this vaccine made by Gamaleya. Some of these countries were: Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Republic of Guinea, Tunisia, Armenia, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The DOH said that it has 91.6 percent efficacy “against symptomatic COVID-19” and 100 percent against moderate or severe cases.”
It has a storage requirement of 18°C and below. Among the common adverse events noted include pain on injection site and hyperthermia.
Bharat BioTech
Last January 21, India's Bharat Biotech filed an application for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin. It is currently being evaluated by the Philippine FDA.
It also requires two doses and is 14 days apart, the DOH said. It has a storage requirement of 2° to 8°C.
Its efficacy is at “80.6 percent against PCR-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19,” the DOH said.
Among the common adverse events reported in its Phase 3 trials include headache, fatigue, fever, body ache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting.
Moderna
The FDA on Feb. 21 said that American pharmaceutical company Moderna has already expressed its interest in applying for an EUA for its COVID-19 vaccine.
“Nung nag meeting kami last week, tinanong ko kailan ba kayo mag-aapply? Sabi nila they are just completing the applications and that they will file soon (When we met last week, I asked when will you apply? They say they are just completing the applications and that they will file soon),” FDA-Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo then said.
This vaccine also requires two doses. The interval is 28 days between the first and second dose. This vaccine can be stored between 2°C and 8°C for up to 30 days as well as -25 to -15 °C, the DOH said.
Its efficacy based on the Phase 3 trials is at 94.1 percent against symptomatic COVID-19” and “100 percent against severe COVID-19,” the DOH said.
The common adverse events observed in its Phase 3 trials are the following: pain on the injection site, fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and chills.
Janssen
In a statement on March 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it listed the vaccine developed by Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is owned by the U.S. multinational company Johnson & Johnson, “for emergency use in all countries and for COVAX roll-out. “
“The vaccine from Janssen is the first to be listed by WHO as a single dose regimen, which should facilitate vaccination logistics in all countries. The ample data from large clinical trials shared by the company also shows that the vaccine is effective in older populations,” the WHO said.
Data from the DOH said that its efficacy is between 66.1 to 66.9 percent “against confirmed moderate to severe/critical COVID-19.”
The common adverse events reported during its Phase 3 clinical trials include: tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.
Novavax
Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr announced last March 16 that the Philippines has secured a supply deal of 30 million doses of vaccine developed by American firm Novavax Inc.
Data from the DOH showed that this vaccine is given in two doses, 21 days apart. It has a storage requirement of 2°C and 8°C.
In a statement, Novavax said that its vaccine has an efficacy of 96.4 percent against mild, moderate and severe disease caused by the original COVID-19 strain in a pivotal Phase 3 trial in the United Kingdom.